Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes

If I had to pick between breakfast, lunch, and dinner food to eat for the rest of my life, I would absolutely and unquestionably choose breakfast. There are just so many delicious options! There’s just something about a lot of breakfast foods that feels like comfort food to me. So yes, I’m one of those people that frequently makes pancakes and eggs for dinner.

In keeping with my attempts to make meals that are actually full of good foods and not processed junk, I’ve been experimenting with several different pancake recipes lately. This one came from a recipe my sister introduced me to, but I added a few more ingredients and changed things up a bit. And the end result is a rather delicious incredibly moist pancake!

Honestly, these pancakes are so moist and flavorful, that I don’t even use syrup on them. I just butter them and dig in! I’m sure they’d be delicious smothered in maple syrup (or fruit syrup!), but they don’t need it. They’d also be tasty with a pile of fresh fruit on top!

Because they have cottage cheese in them, which melts when they cook, they stay pretty moist in the middle. My husband doesn’t like this – he says they’re gooey. I love it! A lot of pancakes are too dry for my taste, and you have to bathe them in syrup for them to be edible. Don’t get me wrong, syrup is delicious, but probably not the healthiest thing for you. So the fact that these are moist and sweet all on their own is a major win for me!

Oh, and they kind of taste like banana bread. Which I love.

 Oats have soooo many health benefits – starting with lots of fiber! The cottage cheese and eggs give you a nice amount of protein (so important for starting your day!) And there’s no added sugar!!

These pancakes are also quick and easy to mix up. Just throw all the ingredients in the blender!

You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to make sure everything gets blended evenly.

Then cook them on the stove or a griddle.

Serve hot with some butter and enjoy!

Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes

2 cups oats
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 banana
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
milk (if needed to thin batter)

1. Place all ingredients (except milk) in the blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. If the batter seems to thick, add a little milk and blend again.

2. Pour batter onto heated griddle or frying pan. I do about 1/4 cup per pancake, but you can make them as big or small as you like.

3. When the bottom is cooked and begins to brown, flip the pancakes over and continue cooking until that side is cooked and golden. The insides will stay a little moist from the cottage cheese melting.

Makes about a dozen pancakes.

After blending, mix in some fresh fruit such as blueberries, chopped strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Honey Nut Oatmeal

This is another recipe that came from our dairy-free trial with our two-year-old. Oh man was it hard! Just coming up with things for him to eat (without just feeding him the same thing every meal) was difficult, but trying to actually keep a balanced diet was even harder!

We bought some almond milk to try out. We got plain almond milk so as to minimize sugar intake (he’s already got enough energy!), which, in my opinion, doesn’t taste too great. I guess maybe some people like it, but I’m not a huge fan. But turns out if you use it to cook oatmeal, it gives it a nice nutty flavor and creamier consistency than just cooking it in water.

Instead of just adding sugar, we added some peanut butter, which made it creamier, nuttier, and added protein. And then we drizzled a little honey on top for extra deliciousness.

Oats are full of whole-grainy goodness, and when combined with almond milk and peanut butter you get a nice balance of protein and carbohydrates. And honey is kind of a super food – full of vitamins, minerals, and anti-bacterial properties. Great way to start your day!

To make this, you basically make it the same way you would “regular” oatmeal – just substitute the water or milk for almond milk, bring it to a boil, and stir in the oats. Cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the peanut butter.

Dish into bowls and drizzle a little honey on top. Enjoy!

Honey Nut Oatmeal

2 1/2 cups almond milk
1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp + honey

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring almond milk to a bowl. Pour in oats and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.

3. Dish into 4 bowls and drizzle a little honey on top of each.

Makes about 4 servings.